The Navy in the Woods
by bohemiangirl
Summary: When skeletons are found in navy uniforms, The FBI/Jeffersonian team and NICS must work together to catch a serial killer before they strike again. How will these strong personalities work together? And is someone that we know in danger?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is set around early season 6 of NCIS, with Vance as Director but before the drama with Ziva & Rivkin unfolded. It's also set around season 4 of Bones before Booth's feelings towards Brennan became apparent. _

**The Navy in the Woods **

**CHAPTER 1**

"Doctor Brennan, as much as I respect you and your work, I thought I made myself clear when I told you that I'm more suited to the lab. I just don't think that I would be of as much use as you-"

"Man up, Clarke," Special Agent Seeley Booth interrupted the intern as they made their way through the dense woods to where state police had found a body. "We're in the great outdoors. Enjoy it! Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?" Clarke asked.

"It's the smell of decomposing flesh," Doctor Temperance Brennan said, matter of factly. "We must be close to the body."

"I was talking about the smell of fresh air," Booth said, disheartened. "You don't get that in your squint lab."

"Over there," Brennan said, pointing to a patch of long grass where the flies had gathered. "Decomposing flesh. I told you." Booth shook his head as he followed Brennan, leaving a stumbling Clarke in his wake.

"I'd estimate that the body has been here for approximately two weeks," Brennan said, giving the body a cursory examination. "Male, mid thirties. However it's impossible to be precise about the exact time of death out here due to the fact that much of the flesh has been removed from the body by animals. I can't determine cause of death just yet either. I'll need to take a closer look."

"We'll take him back to the squint lab," Booth said.

"Not so fast," a cocky voice spoke up. Booth, Brennan and Clarke looked up to see four people emerging from deep within the woods.

"NCIS," Tony Dinozzo said, holding up his badge.

"FBI," Booth said, also holding up his badge. "Special Agent Seeley Booth."

"Very Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo," Tony said smugly. "And I'm sorry to say but NCIS trumps FBI."

"What?" Booth asked, gobsmacked. "Since when?"

"Since always-" Tony started, before he was interrupted by a slap to the back of his head from his boss, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Tony grimaced and shut his mouth. Special Agent Tim McGee and Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David stood back amused, watching the scene unfold before them.

"Gibbs," Gibbs said, stepping forth and introducing himself. "State police called in NCIS because the victim was found wearing a navy uniform. It's the third such body found in this general area this week. You were given the last two. It's time that NCIS got involved."

"But," Booth said, "There were no matches on military databases to indicate that the previous two victims were actually in the navy. Despite wearing uniforms they appear to be civilians. Plus, the remains were mostly bones and are difficult to identify, which is why we were called in."

"Oh my God," McGee whispered, grabbing Ziva by the arm.

"What?" Ziva whispered back.

"Don't look now but that woman examining the body is Doctor Temperance Brennan," McGee said, completely star struck.

"Who?" Ziva asked, confused.

"The Forensic Anthropologist and best selling writer. I was just talking to you about her latest book the other day," McGee said, excited. "The woman's a genius."

"Oh… right," Ziva said, vaguely.

"Uh… guys," Clarke said from further back in the woods.

"What've you got there, Probie?" Tony asked him.

"What did you just call me?" Clarke asked, insulted.

"Probie," Tony said, louder. "What've you got?" Clarke shook his head at Tony and turned his attention to Brennan.

"Doctor Brennan, I just found some war medals."

"War medals?" Brennan asked, surprised. "Perhaps he was marching in some kind of military parade?"

"Or receiving an award," Gibbs suggested, making his way over to Clarke to examine the medals. "Silver star and purple heart," he said, identifying them.

"Just like you, boss," Tony spoke up. Gibbs glared at him.

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"Finally, we're here, Mister Palmer," Ducky said as he and his assistant caught up with the others. "I'm not as fit as I used to be back when- oh dear, it seems as though we have quite the crowd here. What's going on?"

"Jurisdictional issues, Ducky," Tony replied. "NCIS trumps FBI though so-"

"NCIS does not trump FBI!" Booth replied, annoyed. "That's it. I'm getting the Director on the phone."

"I'll call Vance," Gibbs said, dialling his cell phone.

"My, my, my," Ducky said suddenly, a smile spreading across his face as he looked around. "Look who it is." Brennan's attention was drawn away from the body when she heard a familiar voice.

"Doctor Mallard!" She said, smiling.

"Please, Temperance, how many times have I told you to call me Ducky?" Brennan took her gloves off and carefully made her way over to Ducky who greeted her warmly with a hug. "How are you, my dear?"

"I'm well, Ducky. Missing your stories," Brennan said with a smile. Tony turned to Ziva and McGee and raised his eyebrows.

"Well isn't that nice," Tony said, pulling the crime scene camera out of his bag and moving closer to the body. Booth, who was talking to the FBI Director on his cell phone, stepped in front of Tony. He put his hand up, signalling for Tony to stay away from the body.

"I think that you should just let me do my job," Tony said, cockily. "The man served his country. He deserves the best."

"Oh my God…" Ziva said under her breath, watching the confrontation between the men.

"And you would know what exactly about serving your country?" Booth asked Tony. He went back to his phone call. "Yes, Sir. If you think that's best Sir. I'll brief you later." He ended the call, looking unimpressed.

"Well?" Tony asked.

"We'll be working this case with the FBI," Gibbs spoke up from where he had ended his call with Vance. "Dinozzo, stop being a smart ass and take photographs, McGee, scan the area surrounding the body for anything that might assist us, Ziva-"

"I'll talk to those State Police Officers over there," she said, finishing his sentence. Gibbs nodded, approvingly. "That alright with you?" he asked Booth, who nodded.

"I'm gonna speak to the police as well. They have the guy who found the body," he said, jogging to catch up with Ziva who was making her way over to where the state police officers were laughing and drinking coffee from a flask.

"Hey there," Booth said with a smile. "I'm Seeley." He stuck his hand out and Ziva shook it.

"Ziva," she replied with a small smile. "I must apologise for my partner. He's… well there are no words in the English language to accurately describe Tony."

"I could think of a few," Booth laughed.

"He means well," Ziva said. "He's a very good agent. He just takes some getting used to. I don't think he realised that you're ex military."

"I never said I was ex military," Booth said, confused.

"You don't have to," Ziva said with a smile. "Army, yes?"

"Right," Booth said, impressed and a little unnerved. "How did you-"

"I am also ex army," Ziva explained. "IDF."

"Israel? Wow?!" Booth exclaimed, obviously impressed. "So you've seen quite a bit of action then?"

"You could say that," Ziva said with a mischievous smile. Before Booth could say anything else, they had reached the State Police officers who were standing with the hiker who had found the body.

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"You know Doctor Temperance Brennan?" Jimmy asked Ducky, impressed as they took a closer look at the body.

"Yes, Jimmy, a number of years ago I took some Anthropology classes here in Washington for a brief time. Temperance was one of my classmates. Unfortunately Mother became ill and I had to give it away."

"You would have made a wonderful, Anthropologist, Ducky," Brennan said warmly.

"Doctor Brennan, I just want to say what a privilege it is to be working with you on this case," Jimmy said, excitedly.

"Yes, I know," Brennan said, getting a closer look at the victim's femur. "I estimate that our victim was approximately one hundred and eighty centremetres tall."

"I just called Abby," Gibbs said, approaching the scientists. "We'll be working out of the Jeffersonian on this one."

"Ooh, how very exciting," Ducky said.

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_Forty Minutes Later_

"I'm sorry, Gibbs. I'm sorry, Gibbs," Abby said repeatedly as she ran through to the Jeffersonian's Forensics' Laboratory. "There was traffic and then I forgot my music and you know what I'm like without my music. I can't think. So I got going again but then I realised that I forgot Bert and Bert's solved every case with me so-" Abby looked up at the faces of strangers standing around the work station. "Uh… Gibbs isn't here yet?" she asked.

Doctor Camille Saroyan, Angela Montenegro and Doctor Jack Hodgins were staring at the unusual creature that had made her way into their lab. Abby Scuito was wearing shiny black platform boots, a red and black plaid mini-skirt and tight black t-shirt combined with her signature high pigtails. In her arms she wrestled with a laptop, discs, a lab coat, what looked like tiny voodoo dolls and a large stuffed hippopotamus toy.

"Miss Scuito, I'm guessing?" Cam asked, surprised that this was the face behind so many of the forensics journal articles that she had read.

"Call me, Abby," Abby said with a smile. She dropped the stuffed hippopotamus toy on the ground and then accidently stood on it while trying to pick it up.

"Did that toy just _fart?_" Hodgins asked.

"I think so," Cam replied, trying to keep her face neutral.

"Awesome," Hodgins said with a smile. "Here, let me help you," he said going over to Abby. "My name's Jack. I'll show you around the lab."


	2. Chapter 2

Hey there. I'm glad that this fic found an audience with its first chapter. I hope that you enjoy this one. I'd love it if you could review for me and let me know what you think. It helps me when I'm writing subsequent chapters.

**Chapter 2**

"Wow, nice digs," Tony said, looking around as he Gibbs, McGee and Ziva walked through the Jeffersonian Institute. They were trailed by Ducky and Palmer who were wheeling the body in on a gurney. Booth, Brennan and Clarke weren't far behind them. "You know what movie this reminds me of?"

"A silent one," Gibbs replied in a warning tone.

"Exactly, boss," Tony replied, not wanting to cross Gibbs. "Be extra nice to Gibbs," Tony whispered as he fell back into step with Ziva and McGee. "He's got to play with others today. The man's gotta be feeling the pressure." Gibbs stopped walking, causing Tony, Ziva and McGee to come to an abrupt halt behind him. Gibbs turned around and Tony knew immediately that he had overheard him. Ducky and Palmer passed them with the body.

"Speaking of playing with others," Gibbs said. "You can stay with the Jeffersonian staff while they work on the body, Dinozzo. We should have someone from NCIS connected with all parts of the investigation. It's your lucky day." Tony looked crestfallen at the idea of being left out of the early stages of the investigation but he knew that further protest would lead to a worse punishment.

"In case the FBI mess up?" McGee asked.

"The FBI doesn't mess up," Booth said, annoyed as he, Brennan and Clarke passed the NCIS team.

"Oh no, I didn't mean…" McGee started to reply, but Booth kept walking. McGee blushed as his eyes briefly met those of Doctor Brennan. Ziva smiled a little, noticing this.

"Way to make an impression, McGee" Gibbs murmured, sipping his coffee as he turned and started walking again.

When they reached the forensics laboratory, the NCIS team were greeted by Cam.

"I'm Doctor Saroyan," she said extending her hand to the team who, in turn, shook it. "I'll be conducting the autopsy with Doctor Mallard. You can go through to Doctor Brennan's office where they'll be working on the investigation." Gibbs nodded in response.

"He's a man of few words," Tony whispered to Cam.

"Agent Dinozzo will be staying with your team," Gibbs said to Cam before walking to Brennan's office where, through the glass walls, he could see Brennan and Booth talking.

"It's actually Special Agent Dinozzo, but you can call me Tony," Tony said with a smile at Cam. Cam smiled back but remained guarded after the things that Booth had whispered in her ear about Tony as he'd walked past just a minute earlier.

Gibbs, McGee and Ziva walked into Brennan's office where Booth had stuck a gruesome photograph of the deceased's body on a white board next to two photographs of the recent murder victims which had also been found in navy uniforms.

"Any evidence to indicate foul play on the third body?" Gibbs asked Brennan.

"There was nothing to indicate the cause of death at the scene," Brennan replied. After the initial autopsy I'll have a closer look at the bones."

"It's pretty safe to assume that we're looking at another murder," Booth said. "Or else it's one hell of a coincidence."

"There's no such thing as coincidences" McGee and Ziva said in unison as Gibbs sipped his coffee.

"All three victims were found in different parts of the woods, all in navy uniforms adorned with war medals," Booth explained. "Bones here found that they died from blunt force trauma to the skull. So far we've been unable to identify the weapon responsible."

"Bones?" McGee asked.

"I work with bones," Brennan explained matter of factly.

"And you write amazing novels," McGee gushed.

"Yes, I know," Brennan replied.

"Anyway," Booth said, trying to get back on topic. "The lack of defensive injuries seemed to indicate that the first two victims were surprised by the attack or that-"

"They knew their attacker," Ziva said, finishing his sentence.

"Right," Booth said with a little smile at her, which Brennan couldn't help noticing.

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" Abby said excitedly running into Brennan's office, her platform shoes making loud noises against the hard floors of the Jeffersonian. "Look what I found!" Abby grinned.

"She's unusually happy for someone of the gothic subculture," Brennan said to Booth as she observed Abby.

"What've you got, Abs?" Gibbs asked as he leaned in to the pair of tweezers that Abby was holding."

"A hair?" McGee asked, wondering what the significance was.

"Not just any hair," Abby said, proudly. This was found on the uniform of the victim. It could lead us to the killer. The victim had blonde hair. This hair is as black as mine."

"You can't say definitively that the deceased is a murder victim," Brennan spoke up. "The autopsy hasn't even been completed yet."

"There's no such thing as coincidences," McGee and Ziva said again.

"Actually-" Brennan spoke up, but stopped when Booth shook his head at her. "But, Booth," Brennan said to him. "You can't solve a case by eliminating-"

"There are two things that I believe in," Abby said, interrupting Brennan. One: science." Brennan smiled at this. "Two: Gibbs' gut. And you will too."

"What war medals were found on the other two victims?" Gibbs asked Booth before Brennan could reply. Booth looked briefly at the case notes.

"The first victim was found with a navy cross and a joint service achievement medal and the second victim was found with a good conduct medal and a navy and Marine Corps commendation medal."

"And you think the first two victims were civilians?" Gibbs asked Booth.

"We haven't found matches in the missing persons databases but military records indicate that they weren't navy or Marine Corps." Gibbs turned to Abby.

"Go through the records and isolate anyone who has received those medals as well as a silver star and purple heart."

"You think someone from the navy did this?" Booth asked.

"It's the best lead we have so far," Gibbs replied.

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Two hours later, Ducky sighed and removed his gloves.

"Nothing," he said to Cam. "Shall we complete further x-rays of the body now, Doctor Saroyan?"

"We prefer a different approach here, Doctor Mallard," Cam replied.

"X-ray vision?" Jimmy joked. No body laughed.

"We clean the bones and Doctor Brennan examines them. We've had an impressive track record this way."

"How do you clean the bones?" Tony asked, feeling ill after watching the complete autopsy.

"Flesh eating bugs or boiling the bones until the flesh melts off," Hodgins said approaching them. "That's where I come in."

"Lovely," Tony said, his stomach churning. "Glad I asked."

"Awesome," Abby said, following Hodgins. "Can I watch?"

"Yeah!" Hodgins replied, enthused that she was interested.

"I got the blood work back," Abby said, handing a piece of paper to Cam. "The victim had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time of his death."

"I have something, guys!" Angela shouted out. Cam, Hodgins and Abby headed to her office and were followed by Booth, Brennan and the NCIS team. "Wow, there's a lot of you," she exclaimed as they filled her office. She spotted Tony trying to work his way to the front. "Wow," she said. "I mean, I'm Angela."

"Tony," Tony replied with a flirtatious smile.

"Nice to meet you, Tony," Angela said, smiling flirtatiously back. Cam noisily cleared her throat, hinting for Angela to get back to the job at hand.

"As I was saying," Angela said, trying to regain her composure. "I've finished a 3D rendering of the victim's face and this is what I've got." Angela stepped back so that everyone could see the face of the male on the monitor. She pressed a button and the face rotated. The victim had chiselled features, blonde hair and striking deep brown eyes. His skin was tanned and he looked to be aged in his early to mid thirties. "I have his face running through the missing person's data base and-" she was interrupted by a beeping sound coming from her computer.

"You have a hit," Tony said with a smile. Angela turned and smiled back at him.

"William Lippmann," Angela said, reading the match. "Aged 34, from DC. It says here that he's a lawyer."

"So basically it's gonna be a long list of people who'd want him dead," Tony said.

"We don't know that it was a murder yet," Brennan said once again, exasperated.

"So why was he wearing a navy uniform?" McGee asked.

"And wearing someone else's medals?" Ziva asked.

"I think we should call Sweets in," Booth said, pulling his cellphone out of his pocket.

"Who?" Tony asked.

"Our FBI psychologist and profiler," Booth answered as he dialled Sweets' number.

"Gibbs," Abby said as a beep sounded from where her laptop was set up. "The search on the medals is finished." Gibbs followed Abby to the laptop and everybody else followed. "One match," Abby announced. "Gunnery Sergeant Graham Walter." Her face fell. "He died in 2006. His medals were reported stolen by his widow almost a month ago during a home break in."

"I'll go talk to his widow," Booth said from the doorway.

"I'll go with you," Ziva spoke up quickly from behind him. Gibbs nodded.

"And we have a DNA match for the hair that we found on the victim's body," Abby said excitedly. Everybody crowded around as she clicked on a link. "He was convicted of driving under the influence three years ago." A man's face filled the screen. Brennan gasped. "His name is-" Abby started.

"Jacob Carey," Brennan spoke up. Her face had paled noticeably.

"Do you know him, Bones?" Booth asked, concerned.

"I was with him last night," Brennan said in disbelief. "We've been dating for about a month."


End file.
